8PM on Thursday, July 30, five days after sectarian violence in Nepal’s Terai-Madhesh plains killed three, injured dozens, and saw mass arson and vandalism, Prime Minister Balen Shah finally addressed the nation. Reading gravely off a teleprompter, Shah was somber, expressing sorrow for the dead and injured and calling for calm. It was one of the few instances where Shah discarded any bluster and bravado, choosing instead a restrained address that called on the public to not blame or target any single community for what is happening. It took a national crisis for Shah to finally discard his dark sunglasses and address the nation.
Every incident has also taken place along the Terai border in districts with the highest concentration of Muslims — Kapilvastu, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Banke, Dhanusha, Parsa, Mahottari, Bara, and Sunsari. Residents of these districts have close cross-border ties to the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and there is ample evidence that radical elements have increased their presence in these border districts. In 2024, the Center for the Study of Organized Hate reported how militant Hindu groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal have expanded across Nepal’s Terai districts. A 2023 US State Department report explicitly claimed that right-wing religious groups associated with the BJP had been funding politicians and political parties in Nepal to support a return to a Hindu kingdom.